Monthly Archives: September 2010

The Liminal Space My daughter Rachel and I went to see the new documentary Reel Injun last evening, a film about Indians in cinema. It’s an ideal entree for an introduction for anyone unfamiliar with the boatload of books on … Continue reading →

Buy a piece of spirituality Philosophers have long struggled with the intersection of their belief systems that embrace religion and their attachments to science. Not surprisingly most Americans say they are religious: only about 15% consider themselves atheists or agnostic, … Continue reading →

Is science naked? Western science is framed as being devoid of cultural values and is, in fact, perceived as “naked.” Anthropologist Laura Nader writes that naked science is “stripped of its ideologized vestments” and I argue that Western science is … Continue reading →

What informs us? Close your eyes for 30 seconds: what comes to mind when I ask you to think about American Indians and their colonizers? The word “colonizer” is loaded right up front, and you probably envision explorers—what some would … Continue reading →

Telling stories This week I’ve been writing about the atomistic nature of Western science which I argue isn’t a bad thing: in fact it’s a useful tool for problem solving. Problem is scientists often believe this is the only problem-solving … Continue reading →

Comparing lenses Thinking about Native science means thinking about western science, and forces you to examine holism and reductionism. Once a student told me about a course she took on time management, and said the instructor recommended the Swiss cheese … Continue reading →